A glider pilot who was killed in a crash northwest of Twizel is said to have been well prepared, and had all the appropriate equipment with him.

The plane's wreckage was found yesterday in the Ben Ohau Range, after the glider had taken off from Omarama on Saturday afternoon.

Gliding New Zealand president Karen Morgan is insisting gliding is no more dangerous than any other sport.

She said there's an element of risk in any adventure sport, but those risks are mitigated to the fullest extent possible by using modern equipment and training.

"He was well trained - fully trained and fully qualified glider pilot. He was experienced and he had done a lot of hours in the activity in recent times. So he was a very good pilot."

"We're in shock and deep sadness that this has occured, nobody ever likes to lose a friend, and this is what has occurred in this case."

She said she can't speculate on what caused the crash, but it's highly unlikely to be related to weather or technical issues.

The Civil Aviation Authority is investigating what caused the crash.

Police have yet to identify the pilot.